MONTEVALLO, Alabama - A Shelby County grand jury has
indicted a former University of Montevallo student on charges related to
gruesomely displaying dead cats last October on campus including one killed
near a flagpole and hung up.

Former University of Montevallo student Christian Todd Slaton, 20, of Madison is shown in his Shelby County jail booking photo after his Nov. 6 arrest on charges of felony cruelty to animals for displaying dead cats on campus. (Shelby County jail photo)

Christian Todd Slaton, 20, who lists a Madison address in
court documents, faces four counts of first-degree cruelty of a cat that state
he did "intentionally torture" the felines sometime between Oct. 16 and 29.

The four counts contained in the indictment were filed April 9 in Shelby County Circuit Court.

Specifically, the indictment states Slaton intentionally tortured
cats including two killed near or at the flagpole in the middle of the
university's quad area, one of which was "hung up for display."

Another was found dismembered on the campus lawn of
Flowerhill -- the university president's residence -- and one was found in a
wooded area near the Falcon Manor apartments in Montevallo, according to the
indictment.

Slaton has been free on $5,000 bond on each of the four initial
charges of cruelty to animals following his arrest Nov. 6.

His arrest happened after authorities in Montevallo began
investigating the discovery of the dead cats in October. Officials indicated
the cats had been killed.

Slaton was a 19-year-old student at the university at the
time of his arrest, but officials at the institution subsequently kicked him
out and banned him from the campus.

Slaton is due back in court for a June 5 arraignment on
the indictment.

He last appeared in court in Columbiana on Feb. 6 for his
preliminary hearing, in which the case's parties agreed to have the matter bound
over to the grand jury for its consideration.

Slaton and his defense attorney could not be immediately reached for comment tonight.